Carolina Panthers
2010 record: 2-14, last in NFC South
Last playoff appearance: 2008 season, won NFC South (12-4), lost to Cardinals 33-13
General Manager: Marty Hurney (2002-present)
Head Coach: Ron Rivera (2011)
Offensive Coordinator: Rob Chudzinski
Defensive Coordinator: Sean McDermott
Defensive alignment: 4-3
2010 NFL Rankings:
OFF: 12.2 PTS (32nd) 258.4 YDS (32nd) 143.1 PASS (32nd) 115.4 RUSH (13th)
DEF: 25.5 PTS (26th) 335.9 YDS (18th) 212.1 PASS (11th) 123.8 RUSH (23rd)
Jeremy’s Outlook:
Injuries to the offensive line and to DeAngelo Williams basically shut down the Panthers on offense last year. The lack of any type of talent at quarterback didn’t help either. Well this year, the team is back healthy and obviously, will be improved. But I think they’ll exceed expectations of a team who just had the worst record in the league last year. Look at who they re-signed below. All of the players are key members on the roster. I know Charles Johnson has only produced last year, but he could be just now hitting his stride. Ron Rivera comes in to replace John Fox as head coach. His entrance into the organization also comes with first overall pick in the draft, Cam Newton.
From all indications, Newton will be the opening day starter. He’s a big time athlete and Heisman trophy winner, but is he an NFL quarterback? I think he’ll either sink or swim; there won’t be any in between for him. He’s a playmaker, that’s for sure, but he’s still got a ton to work on. Jeff Otah is coming back from major injury last season and is being brought along slowly. The running game should be back to normal with the tandem of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart. Mike Goodson showed his worth last year in relief, too. The additions I loved for the Panthers were tight ends Jeremy Shockey and Greg Olsen. They’ll provide big, reliable targets in the middle of the field for Newton.
GM Marty Hurney re-signed all three starting linebackers, so that group is looking to keep the Panthers competitive (or as competitive as they can be). Also re-signed was defensive end Charles Johnson who busted out last year instead of becoming a bust (11.5 sacks). Greg Hardy (a 2010 6th round pick) has impressed in camp and looks like the starter across from Johnson. They added a lot of talent in the middle of the defensive line (Ron Edwards and draft picks Sione Fua and Terrell McClain, however Edwards has been placed on IR). The secondary lost Richard Marshall at corner, so Captain Munnerlyn will be stepping in for him.
Prediction: Cam Newton becoming the starter may be coming too soon, but who the hell is going to beat him out? Yeah…so Newton’s the starter. The running game shouldn’t be a concern, but the passing game is going to have to have some sort of threat to defenses. Shockey, Olsen, and Steve Smith will need to really help out Newton. I think the defense will be good enough, but the offense will need to put something on the board in order for Carolina to win. I think they’ll get to a 6-10 record, but still last in the NFC South.
Projected Starting Lineup:
QB: Cam Newton
RB: DeAngelo Williams/Jonathan Stewart
FB: Tony Fiammetta
WR: Steve Smith
WR: camp battle: Brandon LaFell/Legedu Naanee
TE: Jeremy Shockey/Greg Olsen
OT: Jordan Gross
OG: Travelle Wharton
C: Ryan Kalil
OG: Mackenzy Bernadeau
OT: Jeff Otah
DE: Greg Hardy
DT: Corvey Irvin/Terrell McClain
DT: Sione Fua
DE: Charles Johnson
OLB: Thomas Davis
MLB: Jon Beason
OLB: James Anderson
CB: Chris Gamble
CB: Captain Munnerlyn
FS: Sherrod Martin
SS: Charles Godfrey
K: Olindo Mare
P: Jason Baker
Fantasy Performers:
1. DeAngelo Williams
2. Jonathan Stewart
3. Steve Smith
4. Jeremy Shockey/Greg Olsen
5. Olindo Mare
2011 schedule:
1 Sep 11 at Cardinals 4:15 PM Tickets
2 Sep 18 vs. Packers 1:00 PM Tickets
3 Sep 25 vs. Jaguars 1:00 PM Tickets
4 Oct 02 at Bears 1:00 PM Tickets
5 Oct 09 vs. Saints 1:00 PM Tickets
6 Oct 16 at Falcons 1:00 PM Tickets
7 Oct 23 vs. Redskins 1:00 PM Tickets
8 Oct 30 vs. Vikings 1:00 PM Tickets
9 Bye
10 Nov 13 vs. Titans 1:00 PM Tickets
11 Nov 20 at Lions 1:00 PM Tickets
12 Nov 27 at Colts 1:00 PM Tickets
13 Dec 04 at Buccaneers 1:00 PM Tickets
14 Dec 11 vs. Falcons 1:00 PM Tickets
15 Dec 18 at Texans 1:00 PM Tickets
16 Dec 24 vs. Buccaneers 1:00 PM Tickets
17 Jan 01 at Saints 1:00 PM Tickets
Free agent acquisitions:
Derek Anderson QB (Cardinals)
Legedu Naanee WR (Chargers)
Jeremy Shockey TE (Saints) - 1 yr, $3 million, $1 million guaranteed
Ben Hartstock TE (Jets) – 2 yrs
Ron Edwards DT (Chiefs)
Matt McCoy OLB (Seahawks)
Omar Gaither LB (Eagles)
Sean Considine S (Jaguars) – 1 yr
Olindo Mare K (Seahawks) – 4 yrs, 12 million, 4 million signing bonus
Free agent losses:
Matt Moore QB – signed by Dolphins
Jeff King TE – signed by Cardinals
Richard Marshall CB – signed by Cardinals
John Kasay K
Re-signed:
DeAngelo Williams RB – 5 yrs, 43 million
Ryan Kalil C – 6 yrs, 49 million
Charles Johnson DE - 6 yrs, 76 million (30 million guaranteed)
Jon Beason LB – 5 yrs, 50 million
Thomas Davis LB – 5 yrs
James Anderson OLB - 5 yrs, 22 million
Trades:
Bears traded TE Greg Olsen to Panthers for 2012 3rd round pick
Picks in 2011 Draft: (overall grade: B-):The Panthers addressed big needs (quarterback, defensive tackle, wide receiver), but with players not valued at where the Panthers were picking. Cam Newton was made the number one overall pick because of his huge upside and countless hours of research done by GM Marty Hurney and the Panthers staff on him. There were runs on defensive linemen because it was such a great year for them, so they had to get McClain and Fua while they could. Brandon Hogan is insurance just in case they can’t get Richard Marshall re-signed and same for Lawrence Wilson from UCONN for Thomas Davis and James Anderson. This draft and franchise depends heavily on Cam Newton now. He’s electrifying and the sky is the limit for him. Their offensive line did improve, so the running game will be there for him, even if DeAngelo Williams isn’t brought back.
(! Indicates draft pick who was interviewed, had a private workout, etc. prior to the draft according to my compiled list):
Rd 1, Pick 1 (1) Cam Newton QB, Auburn! – Newton was college football’s top playmaker last year and he’ll have quite a bit of adjustments to make. When will he be ready? That’s the question right now. I like the pick, but he’s not the best player in the draft.
Grade: B Rated: 11
Rd 3, Pick 1 (65) Terrell McClain DT, USF! – Doesn’t have any elite level skill, but will provide energy, run stopping ability, and pocket pressure up the middle for the Panthers. This was an area of need for Carolina.
Grade: C+ Rated: 135
Rd 3, Pick 33 (97) Sione Fua DT, Stanford – More help for the Panthers up the middle of their defense. It’s another solid pick and Fua plays with a good motor. He’s better against the run than he is at rushing the passer, where he needs improvement.
Grade: B- Rated: 125
Rd 4, Pick 1 (98) Brandon Hogan DB, West Virginia! – A torn ACL and two arrests within one year weren’t enough to prevent the Panthers from taking Hogan at this point. He could prove to be worth it if he stays out of trouble and recovers. He’s got good speed, tackling and kick return abilities.
Grade: C Rated: 150
Rd 5, Pick 1 (132) Kealoha Pilares WR, Hawaii – The start of the fifth round begins the list of names that I was not aware of in my second year of analyzing and projecting the draft. He has 4.4 speed and looks to be a solid slot receiver at 5-10, 199 pounds.
Grade: C Rated: NR
Rd 6, Pick 1 (166) Lawrence Wilson LB, Connecticut – Very instinctive player, has good speed, can play the pass, run, and blitz well. I’m confused why he dropped so far.
Grade: A Rated: 137
Rd 6, Pick 38 (203) Zachary Williams OL, Washington State – will provide some versatility inside for Carolina.
Grade: C Rated: NR
Rd 7, Pick 41 (244) Lee Ziemba OL, Auburn– I liked what I saw from Ziemba when I watched his games last season. His athleticism is lacking, which caused him to fall so far.
Grade: A+ Rated: 145
2010 Stat Leaders
Jimmy Clausen – 157-299 52.5% 1,558 YDS 5.2 YPA 3 TD 9 INT 58.4 RTG
Jonathan Stewart – 178 ATT 770 YDS 4.3 YPA 3 TD
Steve Smith – 46 REC 554 YDS 12 YPC 2 TD
John Kasay – 25-29 86.2% 55 LNG
James Anderson – 130 TCK
Charles Johnson – 11.5 SCK
Charles Godfrey – 5 INT
Out of Season Storylines (because there is no off-season):
Panthers hire Chargers’ defensive coordinator Ron Rivera as new head coach
Cam Newton is made the number one overall pick in 2011 draft by the Panthers